Monolithic integration of GaAs LED array/Si CMOS logic

Monolithic integration of a linear array of GaAs double heterojunction LEDs with a silicon CMOS logic circuit has been demonstrated for the first time. Maximum output power of 7.4 mu W was achieved for the LEDs, which have a 30 mu m*30 mu m active area. A fully functional prototype circuit consisting of eight GaAs LEDs driven by a 3-bit CMOS decoder was fabricated. Only a single 5 V supply was required for circuit operation. This prototype demonstrates that monolithic integration of GaAs LEDs with a Si CMOS circuit is feasible for low-cost optical I/O for future computing systems.<>